Did you know...
that Shiba Emus, Shih Tzus, Lhasa Apsos, Pomeranians and Pugs are all related?
I learned this tonight while walking my dog! Another owner asked if our dogs could sniff, I agreed, and then he asked if Shira was a Pomeranian.
I said "No, she's a Shiba Inu."
Which was met with "OH! Mine's a Lhasa Apso! They're related to the sheeba emu. Lhasa Apso, Emu, Shih Tzu, Pugs... All part of the same family!"
"...That's nice. We have to go home now."
I think that only Shiba's and Pom's are in the same family of dogs. spitz type breeds. However Shiba emus' are closer to ostriches, or dodo birds. I think that they're what velociraptors evolved into.
I guess we could all just start carrying a few business cards with the web address for the wiki page on Shibas, Shikoku, etc...
Then, not only is it spelled out on paper, they can actually get good info without your having to talk them to death, assuming they really want to know and are not just being obnoxious.
Heh... instead of a little alligator over the pocket, it could have a bully stick with wings... UFP chic.
At the show last weekend, Katja was telling me that it's not unusual for other handlers or judges to be scared of her Shikoku. One judge even told her, "I hope your dogs don't bite!" Her dogs were fairly shy of strangers but even-tempered as far as I could tell. It's simply because they look like "scary" dogs - kind of sucks.
I have yet to be bitten by a large dog, though I've been bitten countless times by this F***ing chihuahua in my neighborhood. Basically every chihuahua I've ever met has either bitten me or growled at me >:(
I got chased down the street by a pair of Yorkies that came flying out of someone's garage... I just continued walking, but I was ready to punt if they came close enough.
Amber: haha, yeah, those little "windup snappers" are mean
It even gets me more annoyed when someone calls my min pin a chihuahua, now those people get to stand there and listen to me lecture about the breed haha
Besides your list, I also get told that Ki looks like a dingo. ^_^ Really...he sort of does.
(don't mind the dog couch...)
I love having a 'wild dog' in the family although it does make me a bit sad when people are afraid of him (some have even gone so far as to bring their children inside when he walks by...even though he's a sweetheart (especially with kids!).
Just found this discussion - way late, I know, but I need to add my two cents:
$0.01: Best one I ever got was while walking Kitsu on the National Mall near the Lincoln Memorial. Some guy comes up to us and cheerfully enquires, "Hey, can I pet your fox?" No question about what she is, no apparent surprise that I would be walking a fox around the National Mall. So I just said, "sure" and they had a lovely little hello session.
$0.02: Still collecting data on this one, but having had Kitsu in Florida and the mid-Atlantic (and also taking her up to New England regularly for our annual Christmas holiday) I suspect there are regional differences to the perception of Shikoku as fox/coyote/whatever. In Florida we always got asked if she was a wolf. Here in DC we mostly get 'fox' or Shiba Inu. New England (NH) seems to be a mix of fox/coyote.
I find that I get the What-Is-That question far more often when we're in a place where people are already in tourist-mode. Any time we go down to the Mall it's like people see her as just another tourist attraction (the national fox? even though she's a Canuck), and we get stopped, end up with small clusters of people around her asking questions, pettting her, taking her pic, etc. etc...
I get is that a mini husky? mini malamute? When people learn Saya is three years they're amazed. I do get some comments that she looks like a coydog, wolfdog and so on. I can understand kids as they're young, but adults have said this!? I can understand saying she looks a bit wild, or wolf like due to her pricked ears and stuff, but her curly tail gives things away..
I mean I met two wolf dogs of different contents and I've learn a lot from meeting them and reading about different wolf dogs and it's kinda easy to tell difference from high contents from a low or no content.. This is Saya she is a cute shiba inu Here's Dharma she's a black phased wolf at wolfpark
Here's willow or twister I need check it to be sure which they do look different
Here's Devon and Ember two wolf park fox I have a good one of Ember, but this is one best of the two together checking the pumpkin out.
I need print these pictures and carry with me to say does Saya really look like a wolf dog after seeing this? lol
I really need to stop and ask the adults that blurt out she looks like a wolf dog and ask if they really think she looks like one..
They just say it they're not even talking to me. lol
Maybe her raw diet gives her a wild look. haha
She is a sweet dog with kids though she loves them long as they are well behaved and she seems like toddlers.
I do agree some shiba I seen pics of reminds me of dingo and some dingo pics I seen reminds me of shiba.. I can tell the difference there are key features in them..
I'd say shiba have more look of a fox or dingo, but I think they look more like a dingo then a fox since fox's tails are big and don't curl like shiba inu.
@Magmagal -- Im presuming you gave Kitsune that name? and you know it means "Fox" right? so essentially, even *you* are calling the dog Fox all the time....
Comments
Do we have a need for a pictorial forum mascot? :S
unless they seem really interested, i tend to just keep walking and say its an akita as i walk away
that Shiba Emus, Shih Tzus, Lhasa Apsos, Pomeranians and Pugs are all related?
I learned this tonight while walking my dog! Another owner asked if our dogs could sniff, I agreed, and then he asked if Shira was a Pomeranian.
I said "No, she's a Shiba Inu."
Which was met with "OH! Mine's a Lhasa Apso! They're related to the sheeba emu. Lhasa Apso, Emu, Shih Tzu, Pugs... All part of the same family!"
"...That's nice. We have to go home now."
Then, not only is it spelled out on paper, they can actually get good info without your having to talk them to death, assuming they really want to know and are not just being obnoxious.
Heh... instead of a little alligator over the pocket, it could have a bully stick with wings... UFP chic.
Any problems i have had have been with "nice" breeds.
It even gets me more annoyed when someone calls my min pin a chihuahua, now those people get to stand there and listen to me lecture about the breed haha
(don't mind the dog couch...)
I love having a 'wild dog' in the family although it does make me a bit sad when people are afraid of him (some have even gone so far as to bring their children inside when he walks by...even though he's a sweetheart (especially with kids!).
~Rainy
$0.01: Best one I ever got was while walking Kitsu on the National Mall near the Lincoln Memorial. Some guy comes up to us and cheerfully enquires, "Hey, can I pet your fox?" No question about what she is, no apparent surprise that I would be walking a fox around the National Mall. So I just said, "sure" and they had a lovely little hello session.
$0.02: Still collecting data on this one, but having had Kitsu in Florida and the mid-Atlantic (and also taking her up to New England regularly for our annual Christmas holiday) I suspect there are regional differences to the perception of Shikoku as fox/coyote/whatever. In Florida we always got asked if she was a wolf. Here in DC we mostly get 'fox' or Shiba Inu. New England (NH) seems to be a mix of fox/coyote.
I find that I get the What-Is-That question far more often when we're in a place where people are already in tourist-mode. Any time we go down to the Mall it's like people see her as just another tourist attraction (the national fox? even though she's a Canuck), and we get stopped, end up with small clusters of people around her asking questions, pettting her, taking her pic, etc. etc...
I mean I met two wolf dogs of different contents and I've learn a lot from meeting them and reading about different wolf dogs and it's kinda easy to tell difference from high contents from a low or no content..
This is Saya she is a cute shiba inu
Here's Dharma she's a black phased wolf at wolfpark
Here's willow or twister I need check it to be sure which they do look different
Here's Devon and Ember two wolf park fox I have a good one of Ember, but this is one best of the two together checking the pumpkin out.
I need print these pictures and carry with me to say does Saya really look like a wolf dog after seeing this? lol
I really need to stop and ask the adults that blurt out she looks like a wolf dog and ask if they really think she looks like one..
They just say it they're not even talking to me. lol
Maybe her raw diet gives her a wild look. haha
She is a sweet dog with kids though she loves them long as they are well behaved and she seems like toddlers.
I do agree some shiba I seen pics of reminds me of dingo and some dingo pics I seen reminds me of shiba.. I can tell the difference there are key features in them..
I'd say shiba have more look of a fox or dingo, but I think they look more like a dingo then a fox since fox's tails are big and don't curl like shiba inu.
Except the "What I really am" should be a shiba sleeping on it's back on a couch haha